PlayTime OT for Kids

11/02/2024

Does your child live with mild to moderate levels of impairment?

They may benefit from seeing our new Paediatric Occupational Therapist Vivian Carroll!

Our service is for children aged up to 9 who are not engaged with ECIS/NDIS.

👉 To book, you can self-refer or have your medical practitioner email a referral to our Access team: Access@basscoasthealth.org.au

📸 Vivian, right, with client Micha Roberts and his mum Josephine.

27/03/2023

A last minute expression of interest for a fun group program for upcoming school holidays 😊

11/08/2022

We are back!

27/06/2022

What a FABULOUS morning we had in our first ever group holiday program 🥰 Day One ✅

01/06/2022

Hi everyone, myself and Rhiannon Le Busque (Counsellor) are excited to bring this program to our local community in the upcoming school holidays, for children ages four to six. Please see below for further information.

29/05/2022

How Neuro-inclusive is your school?

Here's a table we've put together to help you to see where your school is at and where we all need to be

Find out more on www.ausometraining.com

[Text reads:
Harmful ideas
Neurodiversity- Affirming Approaches
Children will learn to cope with sensory sensitives
Adapt the environment, wear ear-defenders, coloured lens etc
Ignoring attention seeking behaviours
Understand the child needs attention or connection
Rewards
Collaborative Problem Solving
Social skills Training (modelling behaviour etc)
Working through Double Empathy issues together
Autism causes challenging behaviour
Recognising distress, anxiety and trauma
Stimming is restrictive repetitive Autistic behaviour
Stimming is a human behaviour with at least 8 important functions (movement is part of learning)
Autistic children do not innately know how to behave
Respect Autistic Communication and recognise signs of distress and crisis
Headbanging/ Self Injurious Behaviours are Autistic behaviours
Human signs of distress- need for connection and inclusion
Nonverbal Autistics cannot communicate or understand
Non-speaking Autistics need access to AAC- robust communication
Jigsaw pieces, Light it up Blue, Person First Languge
Neurodiversity Symbol, Neuropride, Gold, Identity First Language]

04/04/2022

Hi everyone,

I am looking to expand my little OT business and am on the hunt for another Paediatric Occupational Therapist to join me at PlayTime OT for Kids, who would love to work in a fun play-based environment!

PlayTime OT for Kids provides clinic and community-based sessions to children between the ages of two and 12. The PlayTime OT clinic in Inverloch is well-resourced and offers lots of opportunity for creativity and flexibility in the way we provide services to children. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact me for more information via email at susie@playtimeotforkids.com.au.

25/07/2021

My little dream is becoming a reality and I am so excited to finally share my news. ☺️

PlayTime OT now has a place to call home and it makes me so happy to have a space to offer services to my wonderful families.

Due to high service demand, there will be some changes to future appointments with a focus on clinic-based sessions. I will be in contact with families directly over the next few days to discuss options.

Work is happening behind the scenes to get this super fun space ready for sessions to commence the week beginning Monday August 4 (provided lockdown lifts as planned this week 😊).

I look forward to sharing some progress shots. 💫

20/07/2021

This is brilliant! 🙌

My new infographic to help parents and teachers. Share away!

I first learned of the descriptors "the upstairs and downstairs brain" when I read the Whole-Brain Child (Siegel, Bryson, 2012). The premise is simple and brilliant. The downstairs of a traditional house is where all of our basic needs are met. There’s a bathroom, a kitchen and a living area. Similarly, the “downstairs brain” is responsible for basic functions like breathing and heart rate, as well as sensory processing and sensing threat.

The upstairs brain is our more sophisticated, "thinking" brain. It's not fully developed until our mid 20s! We must be able to access both our upstairs and downstairs brain. We need to be able to monitor the sensory input coming from our environment, think and problem-solve. When our kids are having a hard time, they’re in their “downstairs” brain. They can’t access their “thinking” brain, and no amount of yelling, threatening or punishment is going to get them there.

How do you help a child when they are in their downstairs brain? First, lower expectations. Help them get regulated. That could be as simple as a hug or just being present. Once regulated, only then they can head upstairs.

Next time your child is having hard time, say to yourself “downstairs brain”. It’s a great reminder in the heat of the moment to lead with empathy.

10/07/2021

🎉 Something super exciting is happening and I cannot wait to share it with all of my wonderful families very soon! 🎉

08/02/2021

Hi there all!

Now that the new year is in full swing I would love to take the opportunity to put a face to the name behind PlayTime OT.

I am Susie and I graduated from OT just over 10 years ago. For as long as I can remember I have had a passion for working with kids. In my time as an OT I've been lucky enough to have had some amazing experiences mostly in special education. Starting up my own little practice has been a dream of mine for a while now, albeit very much stepping out of my comfort zone. ☺️

I have two beautiful cherubs of my own who I absolutely cherish and are my inspiration. I’m an Inverloch local originally and am so happy to be back and working together with so many wonderful children and their families.

Thank you to everyone for your patience while I am busy in the background coordinating session times to hopefully best suit all!

Although I am at capacity for now, please do not hesitate to still get in touch as I am hoping to have more availability over the coming months.

Thanks,
Susie